


you'll be safe here

by tatemarkhams



Series: these places we call home [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Established LadyNoir, F/M, Identity Reveal, and eventually, and probs some heavy makeouts, definitely MariChat friendship and shenanigans, partial reveal, really gross flirting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-14 00:30:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9148750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatemarkhams/pseuds/tatemarkhams
Summary: “Ladybug, I think Marinette Dupain-Cheng may have figured out my secret identity.” Chat eyed her carefully, probably anticipating her anger or disappointment at the very least.Oh, right. That.She laughed instead.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> aaaaaand i'm back because you guys have been so so incredible thank you so much for your amazing response  
> also i just can't leave these two dorks alone  
> you don't really have to read Everything Won't Last to understand this but it would help  
> and it would make me very happy too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nobody knows just why we’re here // could it be fate or random circumstance

 

“That’s a _terrible_ suggestion.” Nino said with the driest look he could muster with his lips slightly shaking from the cold.

    
Alya huffed. She stood on the landing with her hand on her hip, looking at the rest of them, sitting on the front steps of the school. “Excuse me. It’s a _great_ suggestion. Everybody loves ice cream.”

    
“Not when it’s early December, they don’t.” Nino countered, rubbing his hands together and breathing into them.

    
Adrien wrapped his coat tighter around him. Twenty minutes had gone by since their classes ended. Twenty minutes that they spent sitting out here in the cold and fruitlessly debating where to go since no one seemed eager to go home just yet. Every suggestion so far has been dismissed for being _too far_ or _too expensive_ or in this case, _too weather-inappropriate._

    
“Ice cream is not seasonal, Nino.” Alya rolled her eyes at him.

    
“It’s 4°C,” Nino stated plainly. “All I’m saying is that maybe frozen treats are not the best thing to eat when our butts are already frozen over here.”

    
Reaching out behind her, Alya hummed, “I don’t know, my butt is perfectly warm over here.”

    
The color that flooded Nino’s cheeks at the mention of Alya’s butt was easily concealed by a growl from him as he turned to his side for back-up. _“Argh._ Marinette, will you _please_ reason with her?”

    
“Nope. Not even gonna try.” Marinette shook her head, not looking up as she played with the ends of her scarf. “You know she’s gonna win this anyway.”

    
“See, Mari knows where it’s at.” Alya grinned. “Are you gonna insist on being stubborn, Nino?”

    
“I’m not being stubborn. I’m being _rational.”_

    
_Poised_ for another round of argument, Alya was just about to say something in retaliation when Adrien cut in. “Why can’t we just go to Marinette’s like always?”

    
He could probably see the bakery from across the street if he stood and leaned over the sidewalk. It wasn’t too far, not too expensive, and Marinette’s parents always greeted them with warmth – it was the perfect place, in Adrien’s opinion.

    
“Because, Adrien,” Nino began, throwing an arm over his friend’s shoulder. “It’s not every Tuesday that we get to have you with us after school.”

    
Alya nodded. “Lucky for us that your music instructor came down with the flu.”

    
“Not for him, though. Poor guy.” Marinette said, frowning empathically at her scarf.

    
“Right, _right.”_ Still looking at Adrien, Nino agreed absently. “And as much as I love Tom and Sabine and their wonderful _èclairs,_ we already spend all our time over there.”

    
“Today has to be special.” Marinette pointed out.

    
“And yet grandpa over here,” Alya jerked her head at Nino, making wild gestures with her hands. “Wants us to sit around and drink hot tea while we listen to him go on about the weather.”

    
“That is _not_ what I said.”

    
“How about we just let Adrien decide?” Marinette interjected, breaking off what would have been another squabble between Nino and Alya. “Since it’s his special day and all.”

    
Nino shrugged. “Sounds fine to me.”

    
Three pairs of eyes looked at Adrien expectantly.

    
“Oh, uh…” He hesitated.

    
In truth, he really didn’t mind where they went. Cheesy at it sounded, he was just happy enough to be spending his after school time lounging around with his friends instead of running through one music sheet after another.

    
“Anywhere’s fine with me.” Adrien said, his gaze apprehensively shifting from Marinette to Nino to Alya and back.

    
“Come on, just pick a place, dude.” Nino nudged him, impatience leaking in his tone. “We’ve been here for almost half an hour. _I just wanna gooooooo._ ”

    
Adrien grinned wickedly, getting that mischievous glint in his eye as he somehow managed to engage his friends in a four-way-stare. “Well then, I guess ice cream sounds **_cool_** to me.”

    
Jumping in place, Alya hollered, sticking her tongue out at Nino and offering Adrien a high five which he accepted. “Yesss!”

    
Beside him, Nino groaned in despair, bumping his head on Adrien’s shoulder repeatedly. “Why am I friends with any of you?”

    
Only Marinette said nothing. She regarded him wordlessly in the way she’s been doing for the last couple of weeks – with a confounded expression, like he was a math equation that didn’t quite add up.

    
Adrien was hyper aware of her as they left the school. He watched her in front of him, nodding along to whatever Alya said as they made their way to the ice cream parlor. Every now and then, she’d cast curious glances in his direction when she thought he wasn’t looking. She’d blink hard afterwards, like she was shaking off a bad dream before turning away.

    
At this point, he was resigned to believe that he and Marinette will probably never have a conventional friendship. It was just another one of the quirks of their relationship that he was coming to terms with.

    
At least, she didn’t stutter around him anymore. Now that they were spending a considerable amount of time together, Adrien found that it was easy to talk to Marinette about anything – from video games to music to fashion advice. She was funny and sweet, even with all the oddly revealing questions.

    
“ _Adrien, that’s a new bruise. How’d you get it?_ ”, she had asked him when he sneaked back to class after a particularly grueling akuma fight.

    
“ _You look tired. Were you up late last night?”_ , she had asked the morning after Chat Noir and Ladybug had stayed up until 3 am playing twenty questions on top of Notre Dame.

    
_“Hey, you’re allergic to feathers right?”_ That one was just completely out of the blue.

    
There were also the looks she gave him whenever he makes a pun or every time Alya mentions something about Ladybug and Chat Noir. It was the way she watched him when he has to excuse himself in the middle of class because an akuma had just begun wreaking havoc somewhere in the city.

    
If he didn’t know any better, he would say that Marinette was onto him -- onto _his secret._ He would think that she had figured out that prim and proper Adrien Agreste was actually Chat Noir, the masked superhero.

    
But there was no way she had. After all, he hasn’t given Marinette any reason to suspect him, right?

    
When they arrived at the ice cream parlor, Adrien noted that the place was reasonably empty. The few tables inside were all unoccupied and the only other person aside from them was a young man behind the counter who didn’t even look up from his magazine when they came in.

    
“The Eiffel Tower’s that way.” The cashier, whose nametag read _Dan,_ pointed to his left. He flipped a page of his magazine, still not looking at the four of them. “Three blocks down and then make a right. Or whatever – just keep walking and you’ll know when you get there. It’s the big pointy thing on the ground.”

    
“Oh, we’re not lost.” Marinette offered cheerily. “We’re customers. We’re here to buy ice cream.”

    
This time, Dan peered up at them, eyeing them one by one with mild fascination in his eyes. “Are you? Really?”

    
“Evidently.” Nino deadpanned.

    
Elbowing his stomach, Alya glared at Nino, chastising him while at it. “We’ve been over this and _I won._ So quit being a baby and go get your ice cream.”

    
“Ow!” Nino yelped, pouting at Alya as he rubbed his stomach. “Alright, alright. Jeez, no need for violence. Just let me do it in peac---“

    
Nino was cut off by a huge boulder that came crashing through the front, shattering the door and glass windows, skidding across the tiled floor and leaving scorching marks in its wake. It stopped just a few inches before the cash register, in front of a shell-shocked Dan who had dropped his magazine on the floor.

    
Breaking out of his state of shock, Dan screeched, not even bothering to retrieve his magazine when he made a run for the back door. Meanwhile, Adrien could hear similar panicked wails of people running on the streets as several more crashes followed.

    
“Shit, shit, _shit_ _.”_ Nino cursed, hauling Alya with him to the side.

    
Adrien felt a sharp tug on his sleeve. Before he knew it, Marinette was pulling him down with her under one of the tables just as another smaller boulder was hurled inside. It didn’t miss this time -- smashing the ice cream display and sending shards of glass flying in every direction.

    
“How close would you say the akuma is?” Alya asked, also crouched under a table with Nino, scrabbling her bag for her phone.

    
Adrien heard Marinette gasp loudly behind him, her hand pulling so tightly on his sleeve he thought it might rip. “Alya, don’t you even think about ---“

    
“Sorry, Marinette.” Alya spared a glance in her direction as she knotted her shoelaces. “I have to cover this.” And then she was running across the broken glass, out the door and into the chaos outside.

    
_“Alya!”_ Marinette called out to her in vain.

    
“That woman.” Cursing under his breath, Nino threw his bag to the floor before going after Alya himself, leaving Adrien and Marinette alone inside.

    
The rising sense of urgency Adrien felt grew exponentially as he watched two of his friends run headlong into the streets of Paris where it was currently raining giant murderous rocks and lacking a hero or two to save them. As if to prove a point, another boulder was chucked in their direction, blocking off the main entrance of the store.

    
Marinette swore behind him. Adrien turned and saw that her expression was anything but afraid, her face a mixture of boldness and haste.

    
_Right. First, get Marinette to safety. Then, find a place to transform._

    
“We have to get out of here.” Grabbing her hand, Adrien pulled Marinette up with him and led them to direction that Dan ran off to.

    
“Actually, uh,” Marinette panted, glancing at the front of the store where their escape has been obstructed. “I think I’ll just go home. My house is pretty close so…”

    
Adrien shook his head although he wasn’t sure if Marinette was looking. “It’s too dangerous outside.” He shouted over the commotion, keeping his grip on Marinette as they wound up in a short hallway.

    
There were only two doors in the hallway, one at the end which Adrien guessed was the back exit (he wasn’t about to take his chances outside in his civilian form with Marinette in tow) and another one to their right with an _Employees Only_ sign hanging on it.

    
Thankfully, the door was left unlocked, revealing medium-sized room. Aside from a large freezer in one corner and a few boxes on the floors, the room was bare.

    
_Storage room,_ Adrien thought. _Perfect._

    
“Okay. This will do.” He muttered to himself before turning to Marinette. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

    
“No.” Her reply came instantly, even though she was only was only beginning to herself as if the thought hadn’t occurred to her before. “You?”

    
Adrien shook his head. “I’m alright. Look, Marinette, you should be safe here until the fighting ends. So…just stay here okay?"

    
_“Me?”_ Marinette was incredulous, looking at him like he just said the most absurd thing. “What about _you?”_

    
“I – um… I’m going to get Nino and Alya.” He said, quickly moving to the door just as Marinette caught his wrist.

    
“But you said it’s too dangerous.” Her hold on him was like a vice, her tone almost provoking. “Adrien, there’s an akuma outside.”

    
_“I know.”_

    
_“There’s_ an akuma outside…” Marinette repeated. “That’s why you need to go, don’t you?” Her gaze on him was steely, a much more substantial question hidden somewhere between her words. And Adrien realized that yes, Marinette was undeniably onto his secret and there was a ninety percent chance that she has figured him out already.

    
Another loud crash echoed in the distance.

    
Adrien sighed in defeat. **“Yes.”** He was fully aware that this was just as good as an admission to the truth but there was no time to lie his way out of this when his friends were in danger and Ladybug was probably out there fighting alone. “I promise I’ll explain everything later but right now, I really need to go.”

    
“Okay.” Nodding in understanding, Marinette let go of his wrist. “That’s -- _okay.”_ She said again, more to herself than to him.

    
“Thank you.” Relief washed over him as he reached out to touch her shoulders. “I’ll come back for you when it’s over, alright?”

    
Marinette nodded, her eyes burning when she looked back at him. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

    
He couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his throat. “Of course.”

    
“And _be safe.”_

    
“You too.” He told her, giving her shoulder a squeeze before he finally left.

    
As the door clicked shut behind him, Plagg flew out of his jacket, doubling over in laughter. He could still hear Marinette inside, talking to herself probably, as he shushed Plagg harshly.

    
“That went pretty well, kid.” His kwami said with tears of mirth in his eyes. “Wonder what your Ladybug would say.”

    
Adrien groaned, knowing he wouldn’t be hearing the end of it soon. “Shut up, Plagg. And _transform me.”_

    
As the magic enveloped him, he tried to concentrate his attention on the fight before him. There was an akuma loose in the city and his friends were in danger. But no matter how hard he tried, he could do nothing to stop the facts that were plaguing his mind.

    
_Marinette definitely knows he’s Chat Noir now. And when Ladybug finds out that he had just stupidly revealed himself to a civilian, she would kill him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls leave me comments I love reading them  
> ily  
> xx


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> put your heart in my hands // you’ll be safe here
> 
>  
> 
> In which an akuma surprisingly likes Chloe Bourgeois....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i wasn't really planning on updating this tonight/tonight but i saw this art by @g2mdluffy on tumblr (it's right here : http://g2mdluffy.tumblr.com/post/156938302304/ok-i-havent-posted-anything-in-a-while-i-even )  
> and i thought, screw my acoustics exam i'm getting this done NOW  
> so thank you for your amazing work! this is for you!

 

The akuma was ignoring him. Under usual circumstances, it should have been an advantage for Chat Noir to launch an unexpected attack but right now, he was just plain insulted by being neglected upfront.

 

“Unacceptable!” The akuma yelled from a giant boulder hovering above ground. Adjusting his tie, he sent two more rocks to the adjacent buildings, making them crumble in less than a minute. Chat shuddered at the damage, thanking his good senses that he had asked the citizens to clear the area. “Nothing is good enough. What a complete disgrace!”

 

In his glimmering black suit and top hat that contrasted his outdated choice of weapons, the akuma was by far the most impeccably dressed opponent they’ve had. He looked almost like every other citizen, overdressed with nowhere to go, except for the fact that he was currently reducing the city into shambles.

 

“Hey, Monopoly!” Chat directed his baton at the akuma. “Pretty sure suits as blinding as that went out of style years ago.”

 

“I have no business with you, Chat Noir.” Deflecting his baton, the akuma hardly paid any mind to Chat as he continued to trudge along the streets, hurling rocks to the sides.  “I suggest you get out of my way and let me do my job. The Deconstructor shall make a city worthy of Mademoiselle Bourgeois!”

 

“Chloe?” Chat whispered to himself, running across several rooftops as he tried to catch up to The Deconstructor who was demolishing every building he deemed unworthy. Upon closer inspection of the akuma, Chat recognized the familiar looking moustache. “You’re Chloe’s butler.”

 

That seemed to get his attention as he sharply turned to Chat Noir and lobbed a rock in his direction. “I’m no longer a mere butler. I’m The Deconstructor and I’m here to remake the world for Mademoiselle!”

 

Before Chat could avert the rock, something caught at it, spinning it in a graceful arc before flinging it at the akuma. It collided with the The Deconstructor’s floating podium, sending him to the ground along with his rocks.

 

“Sorry, I’m late. Got a little held up somewhere.” Ladybug said in greeting as she dropped beside him, like a warrior ready for battle. Chat had to make a conscious effort not to stare.

 

_Maybe later._

 

“No worries. I was holding out just fine on my own.” He assured her, not missing the way she quirked her eyebrows. “May I just say, you make quite a wonderful entrance.”

 

_Okay, so maybe a little flirting won’t hurt._

 

Ladybug smiled. “It’s my charm.”

 

“Just one of the many.” He winked at her.

 

Ladybug stared at him in shock and _squeaked_. It wasn’t the reaction he expected but it certainly wasn’t unwelcome if she looked that cute with her cheeks tinged in pink. “Right. Um - so what does this guy want?”

 

“It’s Chloe’s butler. He doesn’t seem all that interested in our Miraculouses. He’s just wants to destroy everything.” He recounted, looking over the edge of the roof as he scanned the wreckage below for any sign of the akuma. “You think he’s down for the count?”

 

 _“Chat!”_ Ladybug harshly pulled him back just as several rocks shot up from the ground, only missing Chat by a hair’s breadth.

 

“Okay, thats a _no._ ” Chat said, which only earned him a glare from Ladybug.

 

Rising out of the rubble with his suit surprisingly untarnished, The Deconstructor regrouped, now with more ammunition from the debris. “Destruction is the first step to creation. After this, a new Paris will rise! One that is worthy of Mademoiselle Bourgeois!”

 

Ladybug groaned beside him. “Chloe again huh? Why am I not surprised?”

 

“The Deconstructor seems to like her, though.” Chat pointed out. “That’s new.”

 

“He’s still as troublesome. We have to stop him before all that’s left of Paris is rubble.”

 

“Not good enough!” Forming a ring around himself, the akuma proceeded to launch several rocks all over area at once. “None of this is good enough for Mademoiselle!”

 

Ladybug scoffed as she jumped over a chimney to dodge. “Of course, nothing it good enough for Chloe.”

 

Chat stopped in his tracks as an idea began forming in his head. “Actually, I can think of one place in the city that is.”

 

“The Hotel!” Ladybug started, following his train of thought. “Chat, that’s a great idea. If he’s locked up in Le Grand Paris, he wouldn’t be destroying anything.”

 

Chat nodded. “Our problem now is how to get him there. He’s completely ignoring us.”

 

Her face scrunched up in thought as she considered this, her gaze shifting between him and the akuma. Slowly, she lit up, a ghost of a smile forming on her mouth when she figured something out.  It was the most stunning thing Chat Noir had even seen in his life. “We’re not taking him there. _He_ is going to be the one to bring _us_ there.”

 

Motioning for Chat to follow, Ladybug jumped off the roof and landed on one of the akuma’s boulders hovering above ground. “Hey, Deconstructor! You want to impress Chloe Bourgeois? How about you bring him the beloved heroes of Paris as a gift?”

 

Taking a moment from completely annihilating the city, the akuma regarded Ladybug with a vague interest. “Ladybug and Chat Noir? A gift to Mademoiselle from me?”

 

“Wouldn’t that be just perfect for her?”

 

“She would love you.” Chat baited, taking his place beside Ladybug.

 

Grinning manically at them, The Deconstructor adjusted his bowtie and raised his hand them. In less than a minute, their little island was surrounded by several rocks of spinning around them and rendering them unable to escape.

 

As they felt earth beneath them move, Chat’s hand rested on the small of Ladybug’s back, steadying them both. “You might say we’re in what they call a rocky situation.”

 

“Well, you know what they say,” Ladybug’s tone was teasing as she looked up at him. “Everyone goes through _rough_ patch.”

 

Chat’s eyes grew wide, practically bouncing on his feet. “I’m so proud of you right now.”                                                                                                                       

 

They only knew that they’ve reached their destination when the rocks around them withdrew and returned to their wielder. Looking around, Chat Noir and Ladybug found themselves inside a familiar bedroom in the penthouse of _Le Grand Paris._

 

As if on cue, Chloe Bourgeois walked in, scowling as her eyes fixed on The Deconstructor, hardly noticing the two superheroes in her bedroom.

 

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Have you found something fun for me to do? I’m dying of boredom over here, you have no idea how hard it’s been for me.” Chloe complained, pausing to eye The Deconstructor from head to toe. “And what is with that ridiculous outfit? And all the rocks? Ew, I’m getting sore eyes just by looking at you.” Chloe cringed as she flicked his top hat.

 

Chat Noir stretched his baton, putting a barrier between Chloe and the akuma. “Stay away from him. He’s been akumatized.”

 

“Chat Noir?” Chloe blinked, half-surprised and half-confused as she sees them for the first time since they arrived. “And _Ladybug!_ What are you doing here? Are you here to hang out with me, your _super duper best friend_?”

 

Next to him, Chat thought he heard Ladybug make a gagging sound.

 

“I’ve brought them as a gift for you.” The Deconstructor said, bowing slightly to Chloe. “The Princess of Paris deserves only the best.”

 

Snorting loudly, Ladybug whipped out his yoyo and pulled Chloe to their side. “Stay on the sidelines and _don’t_ be difficult.”

 

“Mademoiselle!” The Deconstructor seethed, spinning to aim his weapons threateningly at them. Ladybug and Chat Noir were quick on their feet to ward off the rocks as they came, knocking over the chandelier and burning holes through the cabinets in the process.

 

“My room!” He heard Chloe shrieking behind him as she yanked on his tail. “You’re destroying my room!”

 

Telling Chat to cover her, Ladybug took Chloe by the shoulders and carried her out of the room. “Not now, Chloe! Leave. And tell everyone to evacuate the building until this is over.”

 

“I’m sure that my father, _the Mayor_ , will not appreciate ---“, was all Chloe could get out before Ladybug slammed the door in her face.

 

“ _Thank you._ ” Chat breathed when Ladybug joined his side, using her yoyo to shield them both from the rocks being hurtled at them. “I don’t appreciate having my tail pulled by anyone but you.” Chat waggled his eyebrows at her.

 

“Like I said, _not now._ ” Tapping her finger against his cheek, Ladybug turned her attention back to The Deconstructor. “Where do you think the akuma is?”

 

“His bowtie, probably. He keeps touching it.”

 

“Gotcha.”

 

Her yoyo caught The Deconstructor’s wrist, momentarily halting his attack on them. Taking advantage of his defenselessness, Chat Noir made a run for it, his hand reaching out for the bowtie. However, the Deconstructor was quicker than they expected as he pulled on Ladybug’s yoyo and heaved her against Chat, sending the both of them crashing through the window and into the roof deck of the hotel.

 

“Mademoiselle need not worry about her room.” The Deconstructor laughed as he made a human sized hole in the wall and went after them on the roof deck. “For the first thing I’ll create when I remake Paris would be a castle fitting for her - a castle built over the bodies of Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

 

All around them, the rocks that were just about to hit them stopped mid-air. One by one, they moved in the other direction – back to The Deconstructor – and merged in the air, forming a massive boulder over his head.

 

“That’s a little too morbid.” Chat gulped, just as the akuma flicked his hand and the boulder went flying at them. He rolled on his side while Ladybug leapt the other way just as the boulder crashed between them.

 

“Keep running. We could do this all day but I suppose it wouldn’t take much time for me to squash a pesky little bug.” The Deconstructor raised his hand to his tie, controlling the giant rock and launching it at Ladybug.

 

“ _Pesky_?” Ladybug gawked, expertly jumping over the boulder.

 

“Would you prefer _annoying?_ ” The Deconstructor asked as he attacked Ladybug yet again.

 

“I’d say she’s pretty adorable, actually.” Chat interjected, extending his baton to strike a blow behind the akuma’s knees and knock him down.

 

The Deconstructor sprang, reaching below him for the baton and pulling it out of Chat’s grasp. “And you are very flashy.” Just to mock him, The Deconstructor waves the baton at Chat’s face before throwing it over the roof, leaving him weaponless.  “Now, which one of you should I pulverize first? Any volunteers?”

 

Across the roof deck, Chat met Ladybug’s eyes, nodding at her as a silent agreement passed between the two of them. He took a step back, bracing himself for what was about to come as The Deconstructor suspended the gigantic boulder over their heads. It circled an invisible orbit, trying to decide whether to crush Chat Noir or Ladybug first.

 

They all moved at the same time. The Deconstructor spun the boulder over them, his hands on his bowtie as he prepared to attack. While Ladybug ran to seize the akuma, Chat Noir vaulted with claws out, reaching for the gigantic rock.

“ _Cataclysm!”_

 

It crumbled under his touch, thousand granules of sand falling and falling on The Deconstructor and burying him to his waist. In one final attempt to recover, The Deconstructor tried to manipulate the sand around him, but there was simply an overwhelming quantity for him to control.

 

“I think you’re the first one to go.” Ladybug smiled at him, as she took hold of his bowtie and ripped it in half, releasing the akuma inside.

 

Chat stood by as Ladybug purified the akuma with her Miraculous. Even as everything around them magically fell back into place, his eyes didn’t – couldn’t leave the sight of her. He was hardly to blame. After all, the image of Ladybug in all her glory with magic raining down on her was a sight to behold.

 

If he told Ladybug this, she would roll her eyes at him and call him a sap.

 

 _Oh, he was a sap, alright_ , he thought as he watched Chloe’s butler fall to his knees, looking disoriented for a few seconds before regaining his consciousness.

 

“Oh no! Mademoiselle Bourgeois must be looking for me!” He gasped, checking his watch briefly before taking off, not even sparing a glance at two heroes who had just saved him.

 

Chat Noir and Ladybug blinked at each other, laughing shortly as they bumped their fists. _“Bien Jioue!”_

 

Three akuma attacks ago, Chat had suggested modifying their post-battle traditions from fist bumps to something more intimate - a hug, maybe or a peck on the lips or two. This suggestion had only earned him a pointed look from Ladybug and a discussion that eventually ended in a decision to keep their relationship private, at least for now.

 

He remembered thinking that sometimes he really hated how amazingly logical his partner can be. But she kissed him senseless afterwards until he felt the ground slip under his feet and all he saw were red and black spots. He wasn’t complaining anymore after that.

 

Still, there were times when it was hard to keep himself from reaching out to touch her in the most innocent of ways. _Like now._

 

The fight had messed up her hair, causing one of her pigtails to come loose and her bangs to stick out in every direction. Unable to keep the goofy smile off his face, Chat reached out to touch her gently, smoothing out her hair to let it frame her face the way it usually did.

 

Ladybug looked back at him with wide eyes. And blushed.

 

Which was a first, because in all their time together, he had gotten used to her wisecracking and her overanalyzing and as of late, her shameless flirting with him. But this, _this_ was new.

 

“Bug, are you _blushing_?” Chat Noir was almost giddy when he asked.

 

“What - _no_.” Ladybug’s tone was defensive as she took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest.

 

“You are _so_ blushing!” Chat laughed, thankful that they were alone on the roof deck of Le Grand Paris, because it was a chance to flirt with her mercilessly.  “I understand, though. Couldn’t handle _all this_?” He teased, flexing his arms in front of her ridiculously.

 

That seemed to sober her up a little, although her face was still pink, she told him in the most deadpan expression. “Oh, yes. I am so tempted to jump you right here, right now.”

 

“I know you meant that as a joke but I can’t help but sense a bit of truth in there, My Lady.” Chat waggled his eyebrows at her, lowering his voice in her ear. “Don’t worry, you can jump me all you want later.”

 

Ladybug gave him that smirk of hers that made it really hard for Chat not to kiss her right now. But the loud beeping sound of his ring interrupted them, making them both jump.

 

“Looks like it’s almost midnight for you, Cinderella.”

 

“Shit, I was supposed to tell you something.” Chat cursed, shaking off his ring as if that could delay his transformation from wearing off. “I’ll see you tonight?”

 

“Don’t be late.”

 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He grinned, looking around them to make sure they were still alone before obnoxiously smacking his lips against Ladybug’s cheek.

 

“ _Chat!”_

 

Chat Noir ran towards the service elevator but not before catching a glimpse of a definitely blushing Ladybug behind him.

 

* * *

 

“I hate him.” Marinette groaned into her pillow. “I hate him so much.”

 

Tikki giggled beside her. Her kwami barely contained her amusement at the current turn of events as she watched .Marinette toss and turn and scream into her pillows in the last half hour. “No, you don’t, Marinette.”

 

“No, I don’t.” Marinette mumbled before turning over to stare at her ceiling. “I can’t believe it’s really Adrien.”

 

“You’ve known about it for a while now.” Tikki pointed out.

 

“I had my _suspicions_.” Marinette felt compelled to correct her. “That’s different.”

 

Since that day of their picnic, when Adrien had said same thing to her that Chat Noir told Ladybug, she had been aware of the enormous probability that _maybe_ her crime-fighting partner was also the boy who sat in front of her in class.

 

Still, there was still that little room of doubt that sometimes made her chalk it all up to pure coincidences, that told her that she was connecting dots that weren’t really there.

 

Those were peaceful times, she thought, when she was able to think of Adrien and Chat Noir as separate people.

 

But she was right all along and it was giving her a hard time, trying to reconcile the image of Adrien and Chat Noir in her mind. It had gotten the best of her earlier, when Chat Noir leaned it to touch her with an expression on his face that looked so much like Adrien and i thad had set off so many alarms in her head. Because it was _him_ , it was really _him_ . It was _Adrien_.

 

It was Adrien who had been dropping cheesy lines and flirting with her for over a year.

 

It was Adrien she had been kissing for the last couple of weeks.

 

It was Adrien she fell in love with. Again.

 

“I can’t believe I didn’t figure it out sooner.” She told her ceiling. “Oh my God, Tikki. I had posters of Chat’s face all over my bedroom.”

 

Tikki giggled. “Marinette, if it makes you feel better that means Adrien has been in love with you for a year, too.”

 

“That just makes us two idiots.” Marinette grunted, slapping her own forehead frustration. Eyes widening in shock and realization, she whispered to herself.  “A _year._ So stupid. We’re _so stupid_.”

 

”You’re being too hard on yourself. It’s not really a big deal.” Tikki said, patting her hair on the pillows. “And don’t forget you’re supposed to meet Chat Noir tonight.”

 

“Just give me a minute to get it all out. I don’t want to make a complete idiot of myself in front of Chat--- in front of Adrien again.”

 

So Chat Noir was really Adrien. But he was still Chat. She can talk to Chat. _Hell, she was dating Chat_. This shouldn’t be a problem. Heaving a long, drawn out sigh, Marinette slapped her cheeks and took deep breaths.

 

“Okay, now. Tikki, transform me.”

 

* * *

 

Chat Noir was waiting for her on top of the Sainte-Chapelle, radiating practiced nonchalance as he leaned on one of the spires and played with his tail. Of course, Chat always knew how to strike a pose. He was a freaking model, for god’s sake.

 

Upon seeing her, Chat perked up and bowed in greeting. “Lovely evening to you, My Lovely Lady. Your beauty can only be compared to _umph –_ “

 

She doesn’t get to hear whatever it is that may or may not be comparable to her beauty because she was already pushing him until his back was against the wall. And it was merely a second or two before she was pulling him down to crush his lips with hers.

 

Over the last two weeks, there had been kisses (plenty of them) and flirtatious promises ( _plentier_ ) going back and forth between the two of them. Even so, all of that had been two awkward teens breaking ground and fumbling in a new relationship – full of innocence and childlike enthusiasm.

 

But right now, she very much doubted that the words _innocent_ and _childlike_ could describe the way she was kissing him. Her eagerness took Chat by surprise, suggested by the gasp that escaped his mouth as she pinned his wrists to the wall and her lips moved against his with such fervor.

 

Still, it didn’t take long for Chat to kiss her back. And it was so easy to get lost in the feeling of him when he was doing everything exactly the way he knew she wanted. But she didn’t want to let herself get carried away, not this time.

 

 _This was Chat. This was Adrien._ She thought to herself. _And he was hers for the moment._

 

Her lips left his and made their way to his chin, his jaw, his neck, where she took her time to _explore_ – biting, licking, sucking --- until she heard Chat _growl_ against her.

 

She pulled away instantly, taking a step back and letting Chat’s hands fall to his sides. “Sorry. Too far?”

 

“No, perfect. You’re perfect.” His breathing was still ragged as his arms went around her waist to draw her back to him. “Not that I’m complaining… but what was that for?” He asked, dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose.

 

“I seem to recall someone offering to be ravished. Thought I’d cash in on that.” Her voice was husky his ear. “Or are you all bark and no bite, Chat?”

 

“First of all, I’m a _cat._ I don’t _bark._ ” He said the word like it was some kind of filthy obscenity. “And as for the biting, why don’t you come and find out?” Chat waggled his eyebrows at her.

 

“Wow. That wasn’t even remotely smooth,” She chuckled, pinching his cheek fondly. “But nice try. Very cute.”

 

“I wasn’t trying to be cute. I was going for _sexy._ ”

 

“Aw, but you make very, very cute kitty. I like it.”

 

The line of Chat’s mouth turned into a frown, his eyes refusing to meet hers.“You might not like me so much after what I tell you.”

 

Feeling slightly anxious, she reached down for his hand, bracing herself for whatever he was about to say. “Chat, what’s wrong? Should I be worried?”

 

“I messed up.” He squeezed her hand, his voice grim. “I’m so sorry. You can hate me. I messed up real bad.”

 

She didn’t say a thing, just looked at him patienty with her heart ramming in her chest while she waited for the ball to drop.

 

Her mind ran through a dozen worst case scenarios: He grew tired of her and realized that his love for her was only because he couldn’t have her. He never loved her in the first place. He had betrayed her and everything about their partnership and had gone over to Hawkmoth’s side.

 

She thought she might cry.

 

“Ladybug, I think Marinette Dupain-Cheng may have figured out my secret identity.” Chat eyed her carefully, probably anticipating her anger or disappointment at the very least.

 

_Oh, right. That._

 

She laughed instead.

 

A reaction that Chat had clearly not predicted because the baffled expression made him look like he was missing a piece a giant puzzzle. “Um… I wasn’t kidding.”

 

“I didn’t think you were.” She said in between laughs. “It’s just – oh god – you had be worried you had gone over to Hawkmoth’s side or something.”

 

“I would never.” Chat asserted, mildly scandalized by the insinuation. “But this is serious. A civilian knows who I am behind the mask. That can’t be good, right?”

 

Ladybug went still, observing him warily. “Are you worried she would tell?”

 

Chat shook his head. “No. I’m worried _for her._ Marinette – she’s – she’s a close friend of mine when I’m not Chat Noir. I trust her. I know she wouldn’t go around revealing my secret to people. But if anything happens to her because of me….” He trailed off, not even wanting to finish the thought.

 

All she could do was hold onto him tighter as  the fear and trepidation in Chat Noir’s face made her ache. “Hey, she’s going to be okay.”

 

“How do you know that?”

 

_Because I’m here. I’m Marinette and I know you’re Adrien._

 

“Because we’re here. And we won’t let Hawkmoth touch anyone we care about.”

 

“This is my fault.” Chat slumped against the wall, eyes closed as he breathed shakily. “I’m bad luck. It’s my fault we’re in this mess.”

 

“Chat, look at me.” She reached out to press her palm against the side of his face. “This isn’t your fault. These things happen but we’ll figure it out. We always do. So don’t worry about Marinette because we’ll protect her, okay? Nothing’s gonna happen to her.”

 

Wordlessly, he hugged her tight and buried his face in her hair, synchronizing his breathing with hers to calm himself. “I really wanted you to be the first person who knew about my identity.”

 

“That’s okay. We’re okay, Chat.” Her hands ran up and down his back soothingly.

 

It could have been minutes or hours when they broke apart but when they did, Chat Noir looked at ease again and that was all she really needed. “Just wait ‘til you see me in person. You think I’m hot in the suit but underneath this, I could set things on fire.”

 

_Yep, there he was. There was her Chaton._

 

“Who says I think you’re hot?”

 

“Don’t think I don’t see you stare at me when you think I’m not looking!”

 

“I wasn’t looking _at_ you. I was looking behind you!” She argued, because there was no way in hell she was admitting to that. “At the city! Which reminds me, we should be patrolling right now.”

 

“Behind me.” Chat Noir scoffed, clearly unconvinced. “Is that your way of saying you were checking out my butt.”

 

“Oh my God, Chat. _Stop._ ”

 

“Alright, alright. Let’s go patrol.” Chat laughed, reaching for his baton just as Ladybug took out her yoyo. Feeling just a little bit cheeky, he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Don’t forget to look behind me.”

 

* * *

 

Without looking up to check, Marinette already knew that the soft rapping on her skylight could only mean one thing.

 

Accepting the fact that she wouldn’t finish her sketches tonight, she put her pencil down and grabbed a couple of things in her closet before making her way up. She moved quietly, careful not to wake a sleeping Tikki on her bed as she climbed up her skylight and onto her balcony.

 

When Chat Noir mentioned earlier that he would have to talk to her, she assumed he would save that conversation for tomorrow – at school, as Adrien and Marinette. She certainly didn’t expect him to come knocking an hour past midnight.

 

“Good evening, Marinette.” Chat greeted her with a goofy grin on his face as she joined him on the balcony.

 

“It’s one in the morning.” She replied shortly.

 

Chat rubbed the back of his head in hesitation, suddenly looking sheepish for his intrusion. “Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?”

 

“No, I was up doing homework anyway.” She mumbled the default excuse she gave her parents when they find her awake after a long night of patrol. It completely slipped her mind that the same excuse wouldn’t work on Chat Noir since he very well knew that there was no homework for them to do. “I meant – a project…of mine. I was working on some designs. _Here._ ” Marinette held out a lump of cloth to him.

 

Chat only stared at it like he didn’t quite understand what it is and what he’s supposed to do with it.

 

“It’s a blanket.” Marinette teased him. “You wrap it around yourself when it’s cold. Like this.” She took one for herself draped it over her shoulders slowly, looking at Chat as if she was demonstrating how to do it.

 

“I know.” Chat was flushed, both from the cold and from being made fun of. “But you really didn’t have to bother.”

 

“Adrien, please just put it on. I wouldn’t want you freezing to death on my balcony.” Marinette took it upon herself to cover him with the blanket, while he watched her with wide eyes. “I’d invite you inside but....” _I have a sleeping kwami in my bed and I don’t know how to explain that to you just yet._ “...my room is a mess.”

 

Everything around them had gone so quiet and she was pretty sure Chat had stopped breathing. “You called me Adrien.”

 

_There it was. The fact._

 

A few seconds went by with nothing said between them, just her looking at him, waiting for his reaction. “I did.”

 

Chat leaned over the balcony railing, heaving a defeated sigh. “So I’m right after all. You really have figured me out.”

 

“Pretty much, yeah.” She replied lightly, following him and looking out at the city.

 

It was strange - being with Chat Noir in her civilian form. These were the same streets that they saw every night from the Eiffel Tower yet none of them looked the same to her now. And it was the same Chat Noir she knew and loved, only now she also knew the boy under the mask.

 

“Are you mad at me? For keeping it a secret?” His voice was low when he asked, almost fragile.

 

“Mad? What - no. Of course not.”

 

“Really?”

 

Guilt shot through her. Here he was, worried about keeping secrets from her when their civilian identities weren’t even that close to begin with. And here she was, lying to his face.

 

“I’ve seen superhero movies, you know. I understand how this whole secret identity thing works.” Marinette reassured him. “I’m not mad at you.”

 

“That’s a relief.” Chat breathed, visibly relaxing. “I was really afraid you’d go back to not talking to me.”

 

The mention of her previous behavior around him made Marinette’s face a bit warm, but she decided to play along. “And miss out on the quality comedy? _No way_.”

 

“That would be a _pawful_ tragedy.” Chat beamed at her and Marinette swore the laugh she gave him was only half-pity. “Was that what gave me away? The puns?”

 

Another window of opportunity for her to tell him who she was. How easy would it have been for her to say _I figured out when you told me as Marinette the same thing you told me as Ladybug._ But even though she trusted him with everything and all she wanted to do was give up the whole charade, she knew she couldn’t tell him just yet. Not now.

 

“I’ve had my suspicions for a while now but you only confirmed them this afternoon.” _At least that part was true._ “And you didn’t even _try_ to deny it! Which is weird How have you not been discovered sooner?”

 

“I just figured lying to your face wouldn’t be the best thing to do when we’re in the process of starting over.” Chat said in defense. “Speaking of this afternoon, you weren’t in the storage when I came back for you.”

 

Marinette froze. She had completely forgotten that Adrien would come looking for her after the attack and that she was supposed to be tucked away safe in some obscure ice cream parlor. “Yeah – that’s right – uh, that’s because Ladybug…came by and rescued me.”

 

“She came by an ice cream parlors storage unit?”

 

“Well no, not the storage room.” Marinette stammered, trying to patch up her story that was already full of holes. “She was, uh, evacuating civilians outside so she took me home as well.”

 

Chat Noir seemed to have bought it though, smiling with a hint of pride. “Sounds like her, alright. I’m glad you’re safe.”

 

“You too. It looked like a tough fight from what I saw on Alya’s blog.”

 

“Hardly. Nothing Ladybug and I can’t handle.” Chat shrugged offhandedly like it wasn’t a big deal even though Marinette knew first-hand how taxing the battle with The Deconstructor had been. She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. “Listen Marinette, that’s not all I came to talk to you about.”

 

“I’ll keep your secret.” Marinette told him, although he already knew this. “I’m not gonna tell anyone who you are, I promise. You can trust me.”

 

“I do trust you.” Chat looked at her. “But knowing my identity...there can be consequences. It puts you in danger but I want you to know that Ladybug and I would never let anything happen to you. We’ll protect you, okay?”

 

Marinette nodded, not saying a word even though there were a million things she wanted to tell him.

 

Chat gave her a sad smile and cleared his throat. “I should probably leave and let you go back to sleep. Wouldn’t want you to be late to class tomorrow because of me.”

 

“You know I’m gonna be late anyway but you should go home and get some sleep. You need your beauty rest, Mr. Model.”

 

“Imagine how my father would lose it if dark circles under my eyes were to ruin my pretty face.” The thought made Chat snicker in amusement and shiver in fear at the same time.

 

 _Yeah, right. As if that would make him less attractive._ But she doesn’t say that.

 

“Wait, Chat - Adrien.” Marinette grabbed his arm. “If you ever need a place to transform or hide – or anything, you should come to me. I know who you are, anyway. You’ll be safe here.”

 

Chat looked like he was about to protest, ready to deliver another lecture about the dangers of being privy to a superhero’s secret identity. But before he could start, Marinette was already pressing on.

 

 

“This isn’t a one-way street. You’ll protect me. But you have to let me do the same for you, too, okay? It’s what friends do for each other.”

 

“Why do I get the feeling that I’m not allowed to say no to that?”

 

“Because you’re not.” Marinette’s face was stern, leaving no room for disagreement.

 

Instead of answering, Chat shrugged the blanket off and draped it over Marinette, securing it on her neck the way she did to him just a while ago. “You got yourself a deal then.”

 

After giving her a salute, Chat jumped, balancing himself on the railing with both arms out before dropping four floors down. Had she not seen him do this a thousand times over before, she would have been worried. Seconds later, she saw his silhouette reemerge and spin midair as he leapt across the city, taking the long way home.

 

From her balcony and under two layers of blankets, Marinette watched him and wondered to herself why her partner always had to be so _extra._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: ok so i realize many of u are wondering WHY WON'T SHE JUST TELL HIM NOW and i see that but mari has her reasons which we will get into in the next chapter
> 
>  
> 
> I honestly can't tell how this chapter turned out because i've been writing/rewriting/reading/rereading it for weeks now and my judgement is very very clouded  
> so please tell me what you think  
> you guys keep me sane
> 
>  
> 
> [[ p.s. it's five am where i am and i have to be up in an hour for class so i don't even know anything anymore ]]

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me
> 
> meanbeegirl.tumblr.com // tatemarkhams.tumblr.com


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